Quinoa is SUCH a good hack for when you want something that’s satiating, packed with plant nutrients, but also feels pretty light.
It’s also super versatile! You can use it in salads, as a base for a curry, to make veggie burgers… this list goes on and on.
So what is quinoa?
Not a grain, but sort of like a grain- quinoa is considered (by some) a seed from the amaranth family. It’s been around a long time, but nowadays it’s considered a superfood. And judging by its nutritional makeup, it totally deserves that title! Quinoa is:
- High in plant protein
- Packed with all nine essential amino acids
- Rich in fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, iron, vitamin E, calcium, potassium, calcium, and phosphorus
The tricky thing about quinoa is that it can be kind of bitter if you don’t wash it before cooking it. So just make sure you grab a fine-mesh strainer and rinse it well.
This how-to recipe is one that comes out of the Quick & Easy Plant-Based Dinner Guide which you can download for free here. It’s 8 recipes of easy weeknight dinners plus 6 recipes of food prep ideas that you can use in lots of dinner ways for quick and easy dinners all week long.
I usually like to make a big batch of quinoa at the beginning of the week and have it ready to go for dinners during the week. But you can also make it right before you’re going to eat it- either will work!
And it makes such a good base! You can use it as a base for a buddha bowl, salads, veggie burgers- there’s just so many things you can do here (and more ideas in the dinner guide)!
So now, let’s make some quinoa!
Perfect Quinoa
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups quinoa
- 3 cups water
- dash of himalayan salt
Instructions
- Using a fine-mesh strainer, rinse quinoa well to remove any bitterness. Drain.
- In a medium saucepan, combine quinoa and water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until quinoa has absorbed the water completely (about 10-20 minutes).
- Remove from heat, cover, and let quinoa steam for 5 minutes. Then, fluff with a fork, season with a dash of salt, and mix.
- Serve immediately or let cool and store in rigerator until ready to use.
Notes
Hope you enjoy this recipe!
xo, Lauren
Find out how to make Plant-Based Cheese Sauce here
Get a recipe for Lentil Taco Meat here
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